February 14th, better known as Valentine's Day, is a holiday in which lovers exchange tokens of their affection coming from the heart. However, this won't be the hearts only job on this special day. The heart will also pump on average about 1,900 gallons of blood a day, which travels throughout the entire body delivering oxygen and nutrients while removing waste and carbon dioxide, sustaining life. The stronger your heart the more likely you are to live a long and healthy, disease free life. Here are my top 10 cardiovascular exercises to help keep your heart strong and efficient.
1. Running: The best and most effective way to lower your resting heart rate, running also helps burn calories, strengthens bones, improves joint stability, relieves stress and improves coordination. Running is great for the mind, body and soul.
2. Spinning: Spin bike classes are high intensity, challenging and extremely motivating. Keeping on beat and adjusting resistance levels and speed with the music makes for an endless amount of workouts that will never leave you bored.
3. Rowing: A popular water sport made possible to do indoors, rowing on a good rowing machine is an above average cardiovascular workout that also helps strengthen the back, shoulders, arms, legs and core.
4. Kick-Boxing: An interactive and fun way to increase your fitness level, cardio kick-boxing will have you punching, kicking, kneeing and elbowing your way to a healthier heart while teaching you basic but valuable self defence techniques.
5. Stepping: Whether on a stairmaster step machine or taking the stairs at your home or work, climbing or stepping has long been a popular way to burn calories while toning the lower body and training the heart and lungs.
6. Skipping: A once popular school yard game is now an intense cardio warm-up used often by boxers, mixed martial artists and other professional athletes. Skipping is great for timing, balance, speed and agility as well as working up a good sweat.
7. Aerobics: Step aerobics has been around the fitness industry for decades and is a very popular and energetic way to train in a group setting, with friends or alone. A good instructor or DVD is a great way to take full advantage of the ageless wonder known as the stepping platform.
8. Cross-Training: As an effective alternative to running without the wear and tear, elliptical cross-trainers simulate a running motion but keep your feet in contact with the pedals. They offer various levels of resistance to make your workouts harder.
9. Incline Walking: For those who cannot withstand the high impact of running, adding a hill to your regular walk or an incline on your treadmill can effectively maximize your heart rate during workouts.
10. Swimming: This is a no impact, enjoyable way to exercise, great for the mature and motivated client, for children and for anyone rehabbing from an injury.
So if you want to be around to spend many more Valentine's days with your loved one, take the time to regularly exercise your heart. My recommendation would be a minimum 30 minutes of activity per day. It doesn't all have to be at once either. Remember, if you can't take care of your own heart how can you take care of someone else's?
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